God, It Has Started The Wrong Way Round
by SafireRansomePoseidonsDaughter
Summary: Tomoe's not a demon. In fact, Tomoe's a normal, although poor, schoolboy who was just abandoned by his old man. Nanami's not a schoolgirl. Actually, she's a fox demon who's fallen in love but can't show it. Join them and dive into the dysfunctional world of Kamisama Hajimemashita, the wrong way round! T, because, well...whatever. Have fun!
1. Just Peachy

Tomoe wanted to strangle something. Or, more accurately, someone.

His bastard of a father just left him, a teenager, alone.

By himself.

No food.

No money.

All because of debts. Great. What the hell was he going to do? Committing first-degree murder would be the ideal option, but sadly, he didn't know where that man went. Tomoe groaned, dropping his head onto the table.

 _Boom. Boom. Boom._

Was that the sound of knocking? Tomoe turned his head sullenly as voices came from the other side of the door.

"Kitsune-san? Open up, please!"

He gritted his teeth as the door slid open and he slowly pushed himself up. Two men stood by the door.

"You have an order of enforcement that requires you to vacate this apartment at all costs. Where is your father?"

Crap. Fan-freakin'-tastic. He got kicked out.

He grabbed everything of importance to him, - there wasn't much - got out of the place and sat desolately at an empty bus stop. What was it, midnight? A murderous air surrounded him as he began to seethe to himself.

"That damn old man! How dare he abandon his goddamn son! We're blood related, for god's sake! He's not normal! HE'S SICK, DAMMIT! HE LEFT ME BEHIND WITH A SKY-HIGH PILE OF DEBT! WHAT THE HELL, OLD MAN?!"

Tomoe's eye twitched, and he breathed raggedly, heavily. "What am I going to do? I'm homeless! I'm sixteen and _I'm homeless!_ Argh!" He buried his hands into his silky white hair, pulling at the strands.

Suddenly, he heard the barking of a dog. He slowly raised his head, eyes droopy. A few metres away, there was a man halfway up a tree, and a dog underneath him. The man squealed and kicked his legs up as the dog jumped up, still barking.

"Someone help me! I'm being attacked!" The man wailed, scrabbling at the tree. Talk about exaggeration. Tomoe sighed and got up, making his way towards the dog. Maybe it was smart or something, because as soon as he neared, it whimpered pitifully and scrambled away.

The man sighed in relief as he dropped down from the tree, crouching down next to it. "Thank you very much. I'm sorry to bother you, I can't really handle dogs." He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head while Tomoe stared, impassive.

 _What a weird guy..._

The man sighed again sadly as he continued. "It's been a while since I've been here. To think that I got cornered, by a _dog_ , as soon as I returned...well, I guess I'm not welcomed anymore..." His tone held a hint of sadness. "Are you a local?"

Tomoe raised an eyebrow. "I guess you could say that." His answer was clipped and short. Nevertheless, the man grinned again and muttered,"So we're in the same boat, eh?"

He didn't get a reply.

The man turned curiously to Tomoe and very nearly bolted out of his skin at the expression on the teen's face. Tomoe was silently raging again, clenching and unclenching his fists to prevent himself from breaking something. His teeth were bared, and he was leaning forward. All in all, he looked positively demonic.

His unwanted companion stuttered. "Uh...are you alright?"

Tomoe closed his eyes, fighting for patience. As he opened them again, he sighed. "Yeah, just thinking about a bastard."

"Oh." The man nodded as if he understood. Suddenly, his expression changed to concern. "Actually, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night? I mean, surely your parents must be worried about you not going home?"

Tomoe couldn't find the energy to be angry anymore. He blew out a long breath and leaned back on the bench. "I can't. I just got kicked out of the apartment after my damn old man left."

"Oh. Actually, maybe..." The man hesitated a little. Tomoe lazily turned his head towards him, curiosity vaguely piqued.

"What?" He yawned.

"Ah, you can have my home. I can't leave it like it is forever." The man had already started scribbling down an address as Tomoe stared at him for a few moments. Then he reacted.

"WHAT?! Hold on, old man! I never said - !" Tomoe was cut off as the man shoved a piece of paper into his hands and smiled.

"Here, go to this address. I can tell, you're more suitable to be the master of the house. Tell the people there that Mikage told you to come. I'm sure you'll be welcomed!" He placed a hand to his mouth and then ruffled Tomoe's hair. "Atta boy!"

Tomoe choked on his spit as he tried to reply quickly, but it was too late. By the time he had gotten his bearings, the strange man had disappeared into the night. He stared at the messy map in his hand.

"What. The. Hell."

* * *

 **Hi! This is my first Kamisama Hajimemashita story. I hope you enjoyed the (brief) first chapter! Please let me know what you think! Thanks.**


	2. Why Me?

**Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favourited! Thanks to you guys, I was able to get the next chapter up quite fast by my standards!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Tomoe was definitely sure that he'd been tricked. He was completely prepared for the result of deception. It wasn't like any person on the street would allow another to take over their home. The thing was, he was _not_ prepared for the rundown shrine before him.

Oh god. The wooden steps creaked beneath him as he stared at the small, gloomy shack.

 _I half-expected this but honestly, come on! That's like dumping salt in the wound! I have the worst luck ever!_

As Tomoe sunk deeper and deeper into depressing thoughts of revenge and self-pity, he heard a crackle. He lifted his head up, and saw the whole landscape before him covered in light.

 _"Welcome back, Mikage-sama."_

He let out an unruly screech and stumbled forward, rushing towards the shrine, the only place that looked safe right then. What the hell was that?! His mind whirled as he tried to think of how what he just witnessed was possible. As he did, his face remained calm, even when he had screamed. He had perfect the art of the expression mask long ago. Then again, this was not the time to think about that!

 _"Ah, wait! Mikage-sama!"_

Ignoring the repeating voices, (and the flames reaching out to him) he scrambled to the side of the shrine was and huddled in on himself.

 _Maybe I went into shock after the old man left, and this is all a hallucination? Ah yes, that would explain everyth-_

"Mikage, is that you?"

Tomoe froze, not daring to move. The voice that he had just heard was definitely female, and it was fairly low.

Also, it practically _radiated_ death.

A shadow of a female figure slunk in front of him, shaking with what he guessed was anger. The shadows covered her face and dark blue fire simmered around her. Tomoe was still frozen in fear.

"Where have you been, Mikage? How come you _**left me, to take care of this damn place for twenty years?!"**_

By the end of the sentence, the voice had risen considerably, and suddenly, the figure launched itself at him. Tomoe barely scrambled backwards, and rolled to the side as the person lashed their hands out at him.

 _"I'M GONNA FREAKING KILL YOU! I'LL WRING YOUR INTESTINES OUT, YOU BLOODY PIG! I'LL HANG YOUR SKIN ON THE CLOTHESLINE! I'LL PICKLE YOUR EYES IN SAKE, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF - !"_

Her sharp hands dug into his shoulder as he yelled in a panic,"HEY! I'M NOT MIKAGE!"

The person froze for a moment and then flipped backwards, landing in a crouch. She stared at him, chocolate brown eyes warm in the darkness.

Now that she wasn't trying to dissect him, Tomoe could vaguely discern her features in the dim blue light.

His first thought? She looked pretty damn good for a girl who was probably well over twenty years old.

Silky dark brown hair reached down to her shoulders, and her skin was pale and clear. She wore a flowing silk purple kimono, with flowers embroidered over it. And wait...were those animal ears on her head?! His eyes widened as he took in the triangular patches of fur on the top of her head, pricked and alert.

 _What the - ?! Actually, I don't even want to ask... Too many weird things have happened today..._

The girl scowled at him. She looked like she would bite off his head. "Onikiri! Kotetsu! This is not Mikage!"

Suddenly, what looked like two kids appeared out of thin air, floating around the girl. They both wore masks and kimonos as well.

"But Nanami-sama, that's ridiculous! Look, there's the symbol of the land god, on his forehead!" One of the kids pointed at his head. Tomoe immediately reached up and clutched at the bangs in front of his face. There was nothing there.

 _What? Oh, maybe it was when that weird guy touched my head?_

He frowned as the girl and the kids continued to argue.

"We can feel Mikage's spirit from him, faintly though."

"Well, _he isn't Mikage, in the flesh, and you know that!"_

The girl turned on him again, a menacing glint in her eye. She towered over him and stared at him with contempt.

"So, who the hell are you?"

* * *

"Mikage, that idiot! What the - he said he gave his house to you?!"

Nanami shrieked. She snatched the paper out of Tomoe's hand and held it up. The two kids - spirits, Tomoe corrected himself - floated around her head.

"Goodness," One of them muttered. "It really is Mikage-sama's writing." Nanami gritted her teeth and almost ripped the paper. Stuffing it in one of her pockets, she whipped out an intricate fan and covered her face, huffing slightly.

"The man you met, Mikage, he's the land god around this area." Nanami directed her statement at him. It took a while for him to react.

"Wait, that old man is a land god?!" Tomoe instantly pictured Mikage's goofy demeanour and sweatdropped. After realising what he said,Tomoe internally scolded himself. Here he was, being rude in front of someone who could probably kill him if she felt like it, judging by the size of her claws. He was dancing with death here. Maybe the events of the day had finally gotten to him. Maybe he was going mad.

"Yes he is. " Tomoe sighed in relief. He wasn't dead...yet. "And he's given his house to you. That means that you are the new land god of this shrine."

 _I'm...a land god?!_

Tomoe sat frozen, blinking slowly as his mind came to terms with the statement. As he did, Onikiri and Kotetsu danced around his head.

"We must celebrate the joyous return of the god of Mikage Shrine! A banquet!" They chorused. Delicious food on trays appeared out of nowhere and the will-o'-the-wisps presented them to him. He barely control his drooling.

 _Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything since this morning. But wait, land god?!_

As he reached towards the food slowly, (his hunger was too much to bear, and the food looked like it was cooked by the Angels themselves - or will-o'-the-wisps, whatever) his hand was suddenly slapped away. The animal girl, - he didn't know which animal those ears were from - Nanami, grabbed him by the shoulders and stared at him intently.

One Mississippi...

Two Mississippi...

Three Mississi- god, she finally released him after what felt like eternity, her fiery brown eyes boring into his. She turned away and fanned herself again, as he sat, dumbfounded.

"I'll stay here and teach you the basics. Then, I'll be on my way. Eat something then go to sleep. God training starts tomorrow."

She disappeared in a blast of blue fire.

"Oi! Animal girl! Wait!"


	3. Familiarity

"Tomoe, why are you so angry?"

Nanami rapped his head with her knuckles, huffing and grabbing another unused talisman. Tomoe gritted his teeth and threw the brush down, staining the mat with black ink.

"Hey! Watch where you put that! You are totally cleaning that up later."

Her voice twittered in his ears. It was so high and annoying and constant! He needed a break. He'd been trying to write talismans for about two hours (with the damn fox girl hounding him at every attempt) and apparently, he couldn't do it because his anger was blocking his channel of godly power. No matter how neatly he brushed each stroke onto the paper, nothing happened.

Fabulous.

For the past two days, Tomoe had neglected to go to school. Mostly because news of his 'situation' had probably spread around the school and - although Tomoe was not easily cowed - he couldn't bring himself to deal with that sort of crap. Just. No. He had enough to deal with.

Tomoe had also gotten somewhat used to the shrine in the short amount of time that he had spent there. He had to cook for himself - after Nanami told him that she didn't need to eat and couldn't cook - and he was actually pretty good at it, considering the many times his dinner had been takeout. And even though Nanami didn't eat, a portion of the food still went to her. Tomoe did have a heart after all, however bland he might've seemed. He now knew that Nanami was a fox demon (surprise surprise, he knew those ears came from the dog family) and that she was easy to read.

 _Too_ easy to read.

She was generally happy, flouncing around in her fancy kimono and greeting Onikiri and Kotetsu with smiles and laughs. Not him, though. Every time she saw him, her face closed, stone cold. She either talked to him politely, not at all, or when she was angry. And she got angry a lot. Even the will-'o-the-wisps couldn't calm her rage. Sometimes he wondered what it'd be like if she smiled at him, but he dismissed it, because that would never happen, right? But back to the present.

And _presently_ , Nanami was the epitome of problem.

He'd had more than enough. Tomoe abruptly stood up - ignoring Nanami, of course, who was still busy raving - and stormed out of the room. Only when the sliding door slammed shut did Nanami notice his absence. A few moments passed before she sighed sadly and deflated, sinking down to the floor. Her kimono flared out around her, surrounding her like a garden of colours.

"I'm just trying to help. If he can handle the ropes, then I can leave before I get too attached. Then I'll be all and well on my merry way, and he can take care of the shrine. He'll be alright, with that expression of his." She mumbled to herself, encasing her head in her arms and leaning against the wall. Her eyes slid closed and her ears drooped sadly, folding down.

 _He's so stubborn._

Nanami's mouth twitched upward slightly. Right, he was stubborn. She was too. A few hundred years of life could teach you your flaws like that. She blew out a noisy breath, stretching back onto the mat which was still stained from Tomoe's rage. Slowly, her eyes slid closed, and she fell into a dreamless world of sleep.

* * *

Tomoe picked furiously at the weeds, shredding them and tossing them to the side. It was vaguely calming, the monotonous repetition of the chore, but not enough for him. He growled as he speared through another one and cracked his knuckles.

"You know, Tomoe-sama, you could make Nanami-sama your familiar." Onikiri and Kotetsu appeared above his head, nearly giving him a heart attack.

"What?" He asked sharply, pausing at his work. Familiar?

"A familiar, Tomoe-sama. She will be bound by the familiar contract to do your bidding, whether she wishes to or not."

"Well..." His eyes glinted almost maliciously as he turned towards them. "That sounds interesting. How do I do it?"

"You have to kiss her, Tomoe-sama."

Tomoe kneeled, frozen, evil smile still on his face.

Then, he slammed down onto the ground.

"WHAT? No. Never. Not in any type of infinity. Is there another way? Please tell me there's another way." His voice was muffled by the grass on his face.

Onikiri almost giggled. "There is no other wa -" she was cut off by the teen.

"Then how did Mikage do it? Did he have to kiss her? That's just...wrong."

The spirits twirled around him teasingly. "It's only a kiss, Tomoe-sama. Then she is bound to you!"

 _I won't do it. Never in a million years._

He returned to his work.

* * *

Tomoe didn't know how the hell he had managed to get stuck above a bottomless pit of nightmares.

He just wanted to buy some groceries, for God's sake. Just because something about him attracted a witch (well, he thought it was a witch, if not, it was a demon thingy) to stalk him on his way back to the shrine, didn't mean that he wanted it to happen. She'd also claimed that she would eat his heart and gain the powers of a land god.

He'd panicked, obviously.

Then, she had used some sort of freaky magic (Tomoe should have been used to this stuff by now) to open up a huge, dark pit below him. He'd dangled precariously off the edge until he heard a shout. More specifically, a shout that came from the mouth of an annoying fox she-demon.

Nanami stood above him, glaring at the cackling witch. Blue fire swirled around her feet and hands, making her levitate slightly. Her hair and kimono flared out from the force of the wind. Her face was clear and forceful. Her brown eyes shone with the glaring light of a thousand suns.

Two things passed through Tomoe's presently pea-sized mind.

One: He had never been happier to see someone he had before considered as annoying.

Two: She looked like a beautiful angel of salvation sent from heaven to torture him.

Maybe it was his fault what happened next. Due to being completely spellbound, dumbfounded, etc. by Nanami's appearance, Tomoe choked on his spit (a very delayed reaction) and hacked out a "Nanami!".

Her eyes had widened when they'd landed on him and then he realised that she'd just noticed that he was hanging between glorious life and certain death. He would have rolled his eyes, but stopped when he saw her expression.

It was like time had slowed down. Nanami's eyes softened, brown irises glittering gold in the sunlight. The corners of her rosy red lips prepared to turn up and -

She slipped.

 _She slipped._

Before he could realise (and comment) on the stupidity of such an accident, she had tumbled into the pit and on instinct, he had grabbed her hand. Now it was the two of them hanging between glorious life and certain death.

"What the hell, fox? You just slipped! That's so stupid!" Okay, so maybe he was being a bit harsh. Just a bit.

"It's not my fault! I was gonna get rid of this demon for you!" Nanami bared her fangs and him, and her eyes glinted angrily.

 _Scratch that, she's no angel. Demon, through and through._

He gritted his teeth and was about to shoot out a scathing reply when the long-forgotten witch-demon leered at them from above.

"It's time to take my reward! I'll let you die first before I take your heart. It'll be quick, little land god. Be happy!" The witch waved her hand, and Tomoe's own started to slip.

 _Oh no. No. NO! This is such a stupid way to die! And hey, who said I wanted to die with this damn fox?!_

His hand slid down further.

Nanami's eyes widened and she almost cut his other hand with her claws. Tomoe gulped.

And then they fell.

Nanami screeched and she squeezed her eyes shut. Cold wind whipped past them. Tomoe gaped at her.

 _Wasn't she the one who was supposed to save them?_

 _Wait. Before, the damn fox had been floating on her fire. Floating._

 _F-L-O-A-T-I-N-G._

Tomoe did the only thing that felt rational at the time. Afterwards, he'd look back on it and wonder why he didn't just scream at Nanami to save them. Maybe he knew that she would be too terrified to listen. Or maybe he wanted insurance that he wouldn't die.

He grabbed her face, with her eyes still closed, and smashed his lips to hers. Well, he couldn't say that he didn't satisfy an urge.

 _Bloody hell. What are her teeth made out of?!_

He yanked his mouth off to see her stunned face and screamed "Damn fox, get us out of here!"

She yelped, and cerulean fire surged to life around them, catapulting them out of the pit. They flew through the air for a few seconds before they landed on the cold, hard ground of the outside world. They lay there for a few moments, winded. Both of them tried very hard to understand what had just occurred. Suddenly, they both shot up to face each other.

"Did I just kiss you!?"

"Did you just kiss me?!"

"..."

"Oh, Mikage's fluffy pink bath robes! What the hell? I'm your familiar?! No! Wait, fate! Don't tie my string just yet! WAIT!"

Tomoe grumbled internally.

 _Is it that bad to be my familiar?_

Nanami stood up and raged. "You're going to make me do everything! NO! Cruel gods, save me from this fate!"

The witch lumbered towards her. "Hey -"

"SHUT UP!" Nanami blasted her to dust and continued raving, bursts of blue shooting everywhere. Tomoe stared at her, open mouthed. She could've done that sooner! They would've been out of this mess!

He sighed forcefully. "Shut up."

Her mouth snapped shut, nearly biting her tongue off. Tomoe stared at her for a minute before he grinned. Evilly.

"Nanami. Turn three times and then imitate a cat by saying 'Miao'".


	4. Smile For Me

Tomoe really, _really_ didn't want to wear a kimono.

He stood, dumbfounded, staring down at the garments before him.

*Kimono. Hakama. Haori. Haori-himo. Obi. Socks. Sandals. He was getting real tired of having the traditional names running through his head. Tomoe groaned as he continued to survey the clothes.

The kimono was made of rich cobalt silk and the obi and hakama were both dark gold. The haori was a shade lighter than the kimono and the subtle shadows of butterflies fluttered at the hem. The haori-himo was a burnished gold, and the socks and sandals were both white. Tomoe sat down firmly on a chair. He didn't even know how to put the damn clothes on!

Looking around him, Tomoe caught sight of the clock. There was still an hour left until the swamp prince came to greet them. Plenty of time. Too much time, actually. He didn't need to get dressed yet.

What should he do?

Take a shower? Maybe he'd get a drink? It sounded like the best option. Although he didn't show it, Tomoe was a little nervous. Just a little. He didn't know what the so-called 'prince of the swamp' would be like, and he didn't know what to expect.

Bumbling idiot?

An all-too-cheerful, happy-go-lucky fool?

Hentai pedophile?

He hoped it wasn't any of those. Maybe it was just his overreactive imagination. Maybe he was a nice guy.

Well, considering his luck, that was probably too far fetched.

Tomoe sighed as stood up, stretching leisurely as he did so. The warm light of the sun filtered in through the translucent walls, bathing him in a fiery glow. He yawned and messed up his hair a little, before yanking the sliding door open and stepping into the hallway. He turned and began making his way towards the kitchen.

That was his mistake.

Tomoe should have definitely taken a hot, relaxing shower.

Instead, a violet blur streamed towards him, slamming into him full force as his eyes widened and the wind was knocked out of him. The impact sent him sprawling to the floor with a weight pressing onto his chest. He closed his eyes when he tried to brace himself.

He failed miserably.

When he hit the ground, his head got knocked first. The pain rocketed through his whole body from that point, leaving him gasping for air. It took him a few moments for him to open his eyes.

 _Oh god, the stars are chasing each other around my head._

Groans and mewls of panic were heard somewhere around his chest as Nanami struggled to get up. Tomoe slid his eyes back closed; he was content where he was, thank you very much.

Something warm (and fairly heavy) pressed onto his upper torso and he struggled to breathe. That something turned out to be Nanami's hand as she pushed herself up above him, her breathing ragged.

 _She must have run into me. Such a clumsy fox._

Tomoe breathed in deeply (no, he was not trying to capture her alluring smell, not at all) and opened his eyes. At the sight of her, violet orbs narrowed into slits. She stared wide-eyed at him for a few moments, before finally noticing their position. She flushed, face burning red, lips fumbling for an excuse.

(It was most definitely not cute. To Tomoe, anyway.)

Scrambling up, Nanami stumbled backwards before bowing deeply.

"S-Sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going! It won't happen again."

She didn't wait to hear his - most likely - breathless reply before dashing out of the hallway and into the garden, presumably to tidy it up. Well, that's what Tomoe would've thought, if it weren't for the fact the she'd already done so a few hours before.

He shook his head, then immediately regretted it as the stars continued to fly around his head. Groaning, he sat up as slowly as possible and tried to stand up. He must have suffered some sort of brain damage from the fall.

Ah, what had he been going to do again?

* * *

Nanami panted for breath as she sprinted into the garden, still shocked from her encounter.

Oh, that was close.

Too close for comfort, in fact. That should never had happened. It had done bad, bad things to her heart. She gulped as she felt the traitorous organ jump and flip, skid and slide. She shut her eyes and shook her head furiously, clutching at her chest.

It took Nanami a fair while to get her mind back on track.

On track...Right, she had to prepare for the swamp prince who was coming to greet them. A wide grin spread across her face. The swamp prince, Kotarou, and his guard, Kei, were some of the better youkai. Nanami was good friends with both of them, well, she had been until she'd become the familiar of Mikage shrine. Since then, she hadn't see them. She couldn't wait to see how they'd been.

Nanami smiled at the darkening sky. Fox-fire lanterns sounded like a good idea.

* * *

Tomoe hissed as the haori-himo squeezed his chest. Wow, he never imagined that he'd be this hopeless. He stood in a tangled mess in the clothes that Nanami had given him. The kimono, hakama, haori, socks, and sandals were all in place, but it was just the obi and haori-himo that he was having trouble with.

Big trouble.

The tasseled rope-like garment was wrapped around his chest, half strangling him. He let out a grunt as it tightened further around him. This thing was worse than a necktie. And that was saying a lot. Tomoe struggled for the next few minutes until the door slid open noisily, and Nanami stuck her curious head in.

They both froze, staring at each other. Tomoe's haori-himo was still wound around his torso.

Suddenly, Nanami snorted, a pale clawed hand coming up to over her mouth as she did so. Shortly after, she was on the floor, breaking down in peals of side splitting laughter Tomoe glared at her from where he stood.

"What?"

"Pfft- you look...so - hah - hilarious! Bwah haha!" Her voice shook as the words struggled to leave her mouth.

Tomoe's glare deepened as he looked on, silently roaring at her to shut up. Well, he could command her to, but his man pride wasn't willing to let him sink to lower levels.

A few moments later, Nanami was panting and smiling at the ground, her laughing fit over. It suddenly occurred to Tomoe that he'd never seen her smile because of him before. There was that one time that she nearly started laughing at his when that witch had trapped him, but that was different. That time, she tripped, and ruined it. This time, it was a real, true smile.

Caused by yours truly.

A sly grin slipped onto his face as his studied Nanami's. Her eyes twinkled softly, instead of blazing with the heat of anger or battle. Delicate pink lips were turned upwards, with the barest hint of a shiny white fang poking out the side. Her nose was slightly scrunched up, and a glowing blush fanned out from her cheeks.

Safe to say, it was _cute_.

Way too cute.

Tomoe held his breath and looked away before he could get a nosebleed. It was the same moment when Nanami looked up at him and grinned, fangs and all.

"I'll help you with your clothes. I am an expert in these things, after all." Pride lanced through her words as she stepped closer to him and began untangling the haori-himo. Silence reigned as she fixed up Tomoe's obi and haori-himo to undeniable perfection, smiled again, and walked out of the room.

When she was gone, Tomoe sighed in relief and wiped his nose.

Well, at least she didn't notice that little drop of blood.

* * *

 **Just saying, I know nothing of traditional Japanese clothing or how to put it on. I'm just going with the flow. Sorry for the late update, by the way! I had outdoor camp for three days. I think I might've died once or twice, but here was the chappie! I got it up, at least! Ok, bye now!**


	5. Kotarou and Kei

**I've forgotten the disclaimer one time too many, here it is.**

 **This poor author, Safire, will always wonder why she couldn't create something as awesome as Kamisama Hajimemashita. She doesn't, and will never own.**

 **Also, thank you, reviewers, favouriters, and followers, past and present! Anyways, read on!**

Nanami was...ecstatic, to say the least.

A wide smile split her face as she slid the door open. Two figures stood on the threshold.

First, there was what looked like a slightly scrawny teenage boy with ruffled brown hair and slightly dulled eyes. His attire was similar to Tomoe, with the exception of the colours. The second figure was that of a girl. She stood proudly, her grey-brown eyes fierce and her orange hair spilling out behind her. She wore yet another outfit similar to which her master wore, but instead of cloth, upturned shoulder plates pointed out from her clothes. A sheathed katana lay on her hip.

Kotarou made a small effort to smile, before brushing past Nanami and slumping onto the floor of the shrine. Tomoe, who had just walked in, stared at the scene before him.

"Um...Hello?"

Kotarou lifted his head and his eyes widened when he saw Tomoe. In a flash, he was at the land god's feet, head pressed to the ground. Nanami heard Kei gasp, and Nanami herself had a hard time covering her surprise.

"Kotarou-sama! You shouldn't be bowing like that!" Kei's voice bounced through the room, although it was ignored by the prince.

He slowly raised his himself up and stared at Tomoe with dull eyes.

"Please, I need your help."

His voice cracked mid-sentence as he bowed his head again. Kei sighed, walked up to him, and pulled him up by his kimono, gently setting him on his feet with inhuman strength. She pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers and turned to look imploringly at Tomoe and Nanami.

Then she began to speak.

"Long story short. Kotarou-sama is lovesick. He fell in that mushy puddle around ten years ago, and he's just realised it. The object of his aff-"

"Wait, hold it. How does this have to do with me, may I ask?"

Tomoe had an eyebrow raised, head half-cocked. Kei stared at him for a moment before Nanami interrupted.

"Uh, you see Tomoe, Mikage was the god of matchmaking and marriage, so that's why Kotarou's asking for your help." She scratched the back of her head, sweatdropping as she hoped that Tomoe didn't realise that she'd never mentioned this before.

No such luck.

"Oi, Nanami, why didn't you mention this before?" Tomoe's eye twitched slightly. Nanami slowly backed away to hide behind Kei as he started emitting a dark aura.

On the other side of the room, Kotarou sneezed.

Suddenly, he leapt up, and started to fill the room with sparkles as roses bloomed around him. A blissful expression decorated his face as he sighed happily. Kei sweatdropped as both Tomoe and Nanami choked.

"See? Look at him. He thinks Himemiko - you know, the girl I was talking about - is talking about him. He's hopeless! And it's not like you can help him, either." The last part was muttered under her breath, but Tomoe managed to catch it.

"What do you mean?"

"Kotarou met Himemiko ten years ago, at Tatara Swamp. She was lost, and he helped her find her way home. He-"

Kei was again interrupted in her storytelling by a hand that came up in front of her. Kotarou made his way to Nanami and Tomoe and bowed down again.

"I've fallen in love with Himemiko." Nanami could see that, by just saying it, a smile lingered on his lips.

"But I can't meet her in this form." He gestured to his catfish-humanoid appearance, wincing slightly. "I'm a yokai. So, I would like to ask you to tie an uninterrupted bond between myself and Himemiko."

"I-"

" _You can't_." This time, Kei interrupted Tomoe. Her eyes were hard and cold. "He's a yokai. She's human. It's forbidden for a human and yokai to become lovers."

Nanami gulped. She then spread her hands in front of her and directed her words to Kei.

"But Kei! Kotarou's so unhappy right now. He's your master! Don't you want to make him happy? The rule doesn't matter, not in the face of love! Well, can you at least let him meet this Himemiko to see if she will fall in love with him?!" She argued passionately.

Tomoe stared at her, mesmerised by the way she spoke. She spoke of love. His inner self went spiralling into a whirlpool of hearts while he stared like an idiot.

Kei (who was extremely refined in the art of a woman's intuition) noticed immediately and turned to wink at Nanami, sending a silent message.

 _Girl, you've got yourself a keeper!_

Nanami stared at her for a moment, before her face erupted into a mess that rivalled a splattering tomato. She then tried to summon an angry face - she failed miserably - and turned away, fuming. How dare Kei imply that just after she refused to make room for Kotarou's feelings?!

Kei sniggered into her sleeve, before turning back to Tomoe.

"Actually, good point, Nanami-chan!" Sparkles literally blasted off her figure. "Let's make an exception in favour of Kotarou-sama's happiness!"

Nanami sweatdropped behind Tomoe. _You're too conspicuous, you moron._

Tomoe deadpanned. "I can't."

Kei froze, the production rate of her sparkles slowing down drastically. Suddenly, her background cracked and shattered into a thousand pieces. Darkness radiated from her as she loomed above Tomoe.

" _Why not?_ " She hissed dangerously.

Tomoe's mask held up very well, considering his situation. Inside, he shivered in terror. "Well, you just said that it's forbidden. It's not like I can break the rules."

" _You can at least try to bend them, jerk! With Nanami's magic, Kotarou can meet Himemiko in a human form._ "

"But still, it's a ru-?!"

Nanami had latched onto Tomoe mid-sentence, using foxy puppy eyes for him to see.

"Please, Tomoe?! I'll do all the chores voluntarily! I'll do anything! Please?!"

Nanami neglected to mention that she'd been doing the chores voluntarily for twenty years, but Tomoe paid no attention.

Instead, he gulped at her hold on him.

Blushed at her closeness.

Looked away because - _goddammit_ , was he going to get a nosebleed again?!

And then finally relented with a silent nod.

Nanami released him and jumped away, punching the air with a fist as she laughed merrily. Kotarou looked at them, shocked. Then, his features melted into a warm smile and Nanami continued her victory dance.

"Thank you, Nanami, Tomoe."

 _Nanami, I hope you can be happy too._


	6. Tomoe Must Actually Be A Closet Pervert

**Don't own. Will never own. End of story.**

* * *

Nanami leaned over the mat where Tomoe was lounging, sticking her face into his.

"Oi, Tomoe, when can you start looking for Himemiko?" She said, bopping him on the nose.

"Hn." Tomoe turned away. He'd look for her later in the day, but not tomorrow. It was too troublesome.

He winced a little as she bopped his nose harder. All the skin around it was turning slightly red. Because of the bopping, of course. Definitely.

" _Tomoooeee~_ " She whined, nearly poking him in the eye. Nanami got no reaction except for Tomoe trying to bury his head into the ground. She huffed and pouted while he silently willed her to get off him.

Nanami waited for a few moments. She never was really patient.

Her eye began to twitch. Oh no, _no one_ got away with ignoring her like that.

And all hell broke loose.

"TOMMOOEE!" She roared, slamming her forehead into his. She saw stars, but continued to push down on him, her legs against the ground on either side of his waist. Tomoe let out a very unmanly shriek (well, actually, no one ever said that he was manly) and instantly grabbed for his head.

Unfortunately, luck never went his way, and so, as the great land god of Mikage shrine went to grab his head, his hand hit something on the way. And it hit with a resounding slap.

Oh _hell_ no.

That something being, _ahem_ , a certain rear end sticking provocatively in the air, due to the owner of said rear end still pushing Tomoe's skull into the depths of hell.

Well, that was what she wanted to do before. Now, she wanted to send his body, spirit, soul, and mind to burn in black flames. Or maybe blue flames.

Tomoe froze, his hand halfway to his head. He caught Nanami's furious, mortified expression, as well as her burning face. A murderous aura began to surround her as he trembled underneath. He looked up at her and tried his best to wince sheepishly (although he had definitely not regretted his mistake, it would be another, bigger mistake to suggest to Nanami so).

"Ah, sorry Nanami! It was a mistake on my part to ignore you bef-"

He tried. He really did.

But he was completely unprepared as the usually soft, pale, gentle, delicate, (he could go on forever) hand, fisted and slammed into his face.

" _Mistake?_ " Nanami snarled. Blue fire crawled it's way up her sleeves, looming over Tomoe and giving her a deadly glow. Her eyes narrowed and she bared her shining fangs. His nose was already bleeding from the powerful blow.

" _You call that a mistake, you-_ "

As Tomoe tried to lift his hands in surrender, his other hand subtly glanced against her derrière again. It was another accident, he swore. Nanami wasted no time dealing another fierce blow before her flames raged around her. Tomoe winced at the searing heat. And the pain.

Oh, the _pain_.

"PERVERT!" Nanami screeched, leaping off him and kicking him for good measure. Groaning, he was left on the floor as she stormed out of the room, fuming.

Then he passed out from blood loss.

* * *

When Tomoe came to, Onikiri and Kotetsu were hovering around him worriedly. Their faces were blurred as he struggled to open his sticky eyes. When he was fairly certain that his motor skills were decent, he spoke.

"What time is it?" He yawned, absently noting the dried blood on his shirt.

"Ah, it's the afternoon now, Tomoe-sama. Nanami-sama knocked you out for quite a bit." Onikiri said as Kotetsu offered him a glass of water. He took it and sipped.

 _Hmm...Afternoon, huh? Wait. That means-_

Tomoe promptly spat the water out, spraying the floor in front of him. The spirits beside him looked vaguely alarmed as he staggered to the door and yelled something about getting changed and finding a girl. A few moments later, looking fairly presentable, he stumbled around the house, trying to find Nanami. When he failed, he immediately started for the town.

"Do you think we should tell him that Nanami-sama has already found the girl?"

"Absolutely not."

* * *

Tomoe was an idiot.

He didn't even know Himemiko's last name. And he was supposed to search for her? Pfft. What a joke.

 _Damn it!_

Tomoe fought to keep from tearing his hair out in frustration as he powered through the city, searching for Nanami. She was the closest thing he had to a clue right now, and she definitely hadn't been at the shrine.

(Not that he could blame her, considering how he'd acted before. But still!)

It took him thirty minutes of searching before he caught sight of a silky violet kimono slipping past his field of vision. Tomoe froze immediately, scanning the area. Suddenly, he caught sight of Nanami.

 _Finally!_

But she wasn't alone. Beside her, a petite, lilac-haired girl sat, avidly watching her talk with fascination. She kept on listening attentively to Nanami talk as Tomoe drew closer.

"-yeah, and a friend of mine, Tomoe, he's my master. He's also the land god of Mikage shrine, the one in the mountains over there, and..."

Tomoe didn't listen to any more as he loomed behind Nanami, who continued on. The girl - Himemiko - noticed his deadly aura and scooted back a little with a terrified expression. Nanami noticed immediately and frowned, turning around. She froze when she came face-to-face with him.

"Ah, Tomoe! How are you? More importantly, what are you doing here?"

She giggled and laughed, then began threatening him through icy eyes. He almost gulped, but then he was about to round on her again. How could she talk about his occupation so casually with an ordinary human?! Tomoe froze as he realised that maybe Nanami had informed Himemiko about the whole godly world.

He seethed. Nanami trembled. Himemiko hid behind Nanami.

"So anyway, this is Numano Himemiko! Himemiko, meet Tomoe, the land god I was telling you about." The cheery act continued as she spoke. Tomoe reinforced his facial mask as he firmly shook the poor girl's shaking hand.

"Nice to meet you, Numano-san. Would it be alright if you could drop by the shrine sometime tomorrow and we could...ah, discuss things?" Tomoe offered. Himemiko smiled and nodded. Then Nanami butted in.

"Well, Tomoe, I've already arranged that, so it's all set up! Let's go back now. See you tomorrow, Hime-chan!" Nanami waved cheerily before being dragged away by Tomoe.

The walk back to the shrine was a long one, where silence reigned supreme. As soon as they were about to make themselves comfortable in the shrine, Tomoe grabbed Nanami and raced her to his room.

Slamming the door shut, he cornered her.

"Nanami..." She was about to die. Her eyes widened at his tone and she instinctively shrank back, even while trying to maintain a brave front.

"Uh...yeah, Tomoe?" Nanami's voice came out squeaky and panicked.

Tomoe licked his lips, violet eyes piercing through her soul. Then, he shot out his next words with such deadly accuracy, they were like five continuous bullets straight between her eyes.

"What. Did. You. Tell. Her."

Nanami gulped and slid down the wall a little. Tomoe followed. She closed her eyes. Her next words were muttered.

"Everything."

"Everything?!"

"Mm-hm."

Nanami's eyes were still tightly pressed closed. Tomoe emitted what sounded like a predatory growl before snarling.

" _Nanami..._ "

Her eyes flashed open and her heart pounded furiously as a fire-engine blush spread across her cheeks.

"Gah! I can't take this anymore! Let me go!" She wailed, clawing at Tomoe's chest.

And then she made her leap to freedom.

Unfortunately, Nanami didn't have any wings of freedom, nor did she think of using her fire, so the end result was her leaping onto Tomoe instead.

She got the wind knocked out of her as her torso landed on his thick skull. He made a noise of surprise and instantly tried to use his hands to push her off him.

Instead...

 _So soft...What's this?_

Nanami felt a vague pull on her chest area. Then she looked at Tomoe.

His face was literally bloodless and flushed at the same time.

Then the dots connected as she looked down. To find both of his hands groping her chest.

 _Squish..._

"PERVERT!"


	7. Playing the Matchmaker

**...Ah...hahaha...Yo guys? Sorry I'm late, I got _really_ lost on the path of life.**

 **I swear. Seriously, my friend introduced me to Naruto and I powered through the 200 episodes, then I got started on Shippuden. Currently I'm on episode three hundred something...and also, Death Note.**

 **So anyway, guys! Longest chappie yet! Also, I really, really am _craving_ for feedback. Like, please, help me out here! I want to know if Tomoe is too blushy, if Nanami is too eccentric! If you have ideas as well, throw 'em at me! If you have criticism, light me up and watch me burn!**

 **...no, but guys. I love you all so much! Really!**

* * *

"Look, Tomoe. You need to man up."

"Matchmaking isn't manly, Nanami! And don't try to lecture me on this topic, you're a female!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but you're the one with a name of the opposite gender!"

"...but still, _Nanami_!"

The fox girl sighed. "It can't be helped, Tomoe. Hurry and get ready, Kotarou will be here soon! Now that I've explained everything to Hime-chan, he doesn't need to borrow your uniform, so be thankful!" She grinned and pushed him away.

Tomoe hung his head and dragged his feet to his room. He snorted as he got dressed in his traditional clothing. Why did he have to introduce the two? Nanami could do a better job than him! If she would agree on it, then he could just hole himself up in his room until they were done. Piece of cake.

Except for the fact that, y'know, Nanami wouldn't agree. Naturally.

He sighed as he put all the clothing but the haori-himo on, and walked out to Nanami. It'd become a sort of habit for her to put in on for him, a) because he couldn't (and wouldn't) do it himself and b) it had become an unspoken small, calming ritual they completed before handling traditional godly crap.

After Nanami was done, she used his half-bowed position to her advantage and reached up to pat his hair, smiling cheerfully as she did so. His eyes widened and his semi-tensed body relaxed.

"It's not that bad, Tomoe! Calm down, everything will go smoothly. I can practically feel your nerves." Tomoe pouted internally but kept a frigid façade. He wasn't nervous. Complete blasphemy, her words were (but he still enjoyed the feeling of her hands on his head).

"Hmph. There's nothing to be nervous about. I'm just...uh...ripping a blue rope?" A tick mark appeared on Nanami's fist as he finished the sentence. Her eye twitching, she spat out her words.

"Tomoe- _sama_ , you will be **tying** an _**uninterrupted**_ bond that will last for _eternity_ with **_red string!_** " She whacked him on the head as she put more and more emphasis on her words. Boiling bumps appeared on his skull as he scrambled away from her, groaning.

"Anyway," Nanami clapped her hands together and spun around as if she didn't just beat a god half to death. "Kotarou should be here...Now!" And right after the word, a knock was heard on the door. Nanami grinned and Onikiri and Kotetsu followed her to the door to welcome Kotarou.

Later on, after Nanami had mentally prepared Kotarou for what she hoped would come, Himemiko arrived. She appeared cute and petite in a ruffled, light blue sundress with a red bow in her hair. Introductions were made, and awkwardness ensued as the couple that were being matched shuffled around, avoided direct eye contact, stole adoring glances, and generally brewed enough tension to bust an airplane hangar.

When all was said and done between the four of them, the unmatched ship (still a ship nonetheless) left the blossoming young couple to their own devices. Which, as it turned out, was the best course of action as Nanami's nervous ranting and amateur hints were failing so pitifully hard it was almost painful to watch - for Tomoe, at least.

"Well, what now?" He grumbled. She smiled at him, and waved her fan like some sort of mad seer - albeit more gracefully, like the failed matchmaking yokai she was.

"We wait. And see."

* * *

It was a literal walk in the park, Kotarou thought as he strolled by the lake, Himemiko at his side. The silence that accompanied them was nothing but a breeze, blowing companionably and then withdrawing for short, warm moments. Himemiko had been wonderfully content, showering him with snips of conversation that displayed her amazing personality. Kotarou couldn't say the same for himself, he mostly just fiddled with his fingers or glasses and talked quietly. She didn't seem to mind, though, always the epitome of patience and kindness. It was nice to have his dream partly accomplished.

Now he had to talk. Kamisama, the horror!

Himemiko smiled as he turned to her, the radiance nearly bringing him to his knees. She was a true goddess, Kotarou thought dazedly. He was completely undeserving of his title.

"Um..I..." He fiddled with his fingers and looked down bashfully. "I was...wondering if you would...like to...um...d-doyouwanttodothisagainsometime?" The last part came out fast and hurried. Kotarou panted a little as he waited for her answer.

Her face creased in slight confusion, and she titled her head cutely. The seconds ticked by until her expression smothered into gentle understanding, and she tried to hold back a giggle as she asked, "Ah, would you mind repeating that?"

Kotarou's heart sank to his stomach to join the eagle-sized butterflies that were clawing at him within. He had to repeat it. Could he handle it? Then again, he was doing this for love. Right? In all his long life, Nanami had never been wrong about these sorts of things. He steeled himself.

"I..." He gulped as he stumbled on his tongue, face flaming. "I was wondering if you would like to do this again sometime. Only if you want to though, I mean, I wouldn't want to force you to come, or anything. Um, so. I-ac..k...agh..." He shuddered to a halt as Himemiko stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips gently on his cheek, before pulling away. She smiled shyly at his shock, pink feathering her cheeks.

Then she beamed, as bright as the sun, and Kotarou almost melted. Kamisama save him, at this rate he was going to be a pile of sludge!

"I would love to, Kotarou-kun. It's really nice being by your side!"

She sighed blissfully, not noticing her companion's jaw drop and his aura start to sparkle. Internally, she still giggled at herself. She, Himemiko, could make a yokai nervous! Amazing!

After a few moments, she was feeling bold. Himemiko took a deep breath, and grabbed Kotarou's hand. He tensed up and jumped a little, but she ignored it, instead she still strolled ahead resolutely, a blush on her face as she kept her gaze forward.

Slowly, they both relaxed, and walked into the moonlit night together.

* * *

"Ha, I knew it! Tomoe, you see, it was perfect!"

Nanami gloated before leaping up and glomping him. He groaned and staggered under her weight before collapsing onto a wall of the shrine. She looked at him, eyes sparkling, and he couldn't stop the slight upwards twitch on the corner of his mouth.

Then hell decided to upheave itself into the human world.

"Hey, hey! Let's go window shopping to celebrate! I just need to change, be right back!"

Nanami disappeared into her room, leave Tomoe frozen, wondering if he'd heard her right. Moments later, she emerged wearing what could be called 'modern' attire. A light blouse, lilac cardigan and a pleated skirt made her look like one of the girls from his school. He stared as she made her way towards him, grinning happily.

Tomoe paled, aghast, and Nanami took the chance and dragged him out of the shrine and towards the town. He went limp as he contemplated his fate.

Obviously, both of them didn't have enough money for anything, so they were going _window shopping_. Window shopping was about ten times worse then regular girl shopping, because the girl would want to try _everything_ because she didn't have the money to buy it and didn't know when she would ever see it again. He was being dragged into hell. He said his prayers as they arrived.

So much for being a god.

 _...Two hours later..._

"Tomoe, Tomoe! Just this last one, and then I'm done okay?!"

 _Hah. As if._

Unfortunately, Nanami's eyes were so pleading, that he just gave in. There was no point resisting now anyway.

Nanami wandered away as Tomoe slumped down on a waiting chair and sighed mournfully, wilting. What in the world was he doing? He didn't even know that Nanami had the capabilities of being like a schoolgirl. Hell, Tomoe suspected that if anyone from his school saw them together, it would be classified as a date.

A _date. Hilarious._

He slapped himself mentally and leaned back in the chair, stretching the aches and cricks out of his bones.

Maybe he should take a nap...

"Tomoe! Tomoe-baka! Wake up!"

A sweet flowery scent surrounded him, and something soft tickled his nose. Tomoe groaned as he was shaken by the shoulders, eyes blearily glaring up at the girl.

"Mmrph...-gah!" Nanami grabbed his wrist and pulled him up, her yokai strength holding his whole body off the chair and ground for a moment before setting him down on his two feet. He stumbled slightly, leaning on her shoulder and staggering out of the store, barely noticing the haze of violet around him.

Tomoe was suddenly unsupported as Nanami released him and leapt up onto something. Looking up, he realised that it was some sort of massive palanquin-carriage, floating more than a metre above the ground. Nanami stood on the open end, wearing her usual attire once again, smiling and waving slightly mockingly at him. He almost gaped.

"Get on, Tomoe!" She yelled. Tomoe internally stared in awe, but he attempted to clumsily clamber onto the vehicle. After much struggle, he got his upper body on, but then he started slipping.

"Nanami, get me into the damn car." Tomoe hissed the command between clenched teeth.

"Eep!" She yelped as his command dragged her hands to grab his and wrench him into the car. Unfortunately, with her strength level they were both sent flying into it. Nanami, thinking fast, twisted her body around to face Tomoe and shield him from the back of the car. Tomoe, being the masochist that he was, thought roughly the same thing and attempted to twist in midair. He wasn't quick enough, though.

Nanami's back hit the wall with a sickening thud and she grimaced, involuntarily pulling Tomoe closer to try to cease the pain. She landed on top of him, one hand still on his wrist, and the other grappling his shirt. They lay stunned for a moment, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

Tomoe's eyes were wide open, a panicked violet staring into the air as his body froze. However, Nanami's reaction was completely different. The general shock receding, she melted - snuggled, more like - against him comfortably, closing her eyes and sighing deeply.

The white-haired teen did not deign to follow her example. Instead, he lay as still as stone, soaking in her warmth like he would eagerly soak up the sun after a rainy day. Even though he didn't participate, it was...nice. Very nice. Embarrassment of the highest levels but still nice.

After some time, soft snoring filled the car as Nanami fell limp, her head rolling on Tomoe's shoulder. Silky dark tresses ghosted over his face and neck. He gulped slowly and exhaled in relief. She was asleep. Finally! Holding her in his arms (he was going to wake her up, seriously, he was!...soon) Tomoe couldn't resist pulling her to him and burying his nose into her hair. Breathing deeply, he identified her scent.

Nanami smelled like vanilla and sakura blossoms. Fitting.

Cursing his momentary lack of self control, Tomoe used the position he was in to gently set her down. Once he completed the task, he slapped his face a few times. That only served to make it redder, and while he was at it, Tomoe failed to notice half-lidded brown eyes staring at him in surprise.

Closing his eyes, then reopening them, he was sure that it wouldn't happen again. Uh-huh. Yes. It was a promise.

 _You know you want to._

He ignored his brain before turning to Nanami, lightly flicking her forehead to wake her up.

"Oi, Nanami. Teach me how to move this thing." He ordered lowly, prodding her again.

Nanami groaned - very realistically - and rolled towards him. Her arms fumbled and reached out to encircle his waist. Her grip tightened and she mumbled something, dragging herself closer to him.

Tomoe stared.

Was she _snuggling_ him?

What the hell? He couldn't do anything but stare in shock as the damn fox curled up beside him, squishing him like a teddy bear. He couldn't believe it. He, Kitsune Tomoe, a cuddle buddy for a yokai?

Averting his eyes from her, he attempted to stand. However, Nanami's weight kept him down. Tomoe struggled fiercely but her knees came to clamp down on his left leg and she held onto his sleeve, as if for dear life. He gulped.

It looked like he was going to break his promise.


	8. School

**Slightly shorter chappie...next one will be better!**

 **Review please! Love you all!**

Tomoe slouched in front of the television, crisp morning air blowing through the doors. Taking a bite of sasamochi, he watched the figures move around with dazed, unseeing eyes.

"Tomoe, it's bad for your health to watch TV all day. You should study!"

Nanami slid onto the tatami next to him, a pile of textbooks in her arms. She sounded so enthusiastic; it shouldn't even have been legal. Tomoe took one glance before lazily falling onto his side, still munching on his snack.

"No way." He muttered, a dark air coming about him. "Anyways, those are from my first year. I'm in my second year now."

The reply he got was, "Hmph. Don't be a sissy."

Tomoe choked on his sasamochi before he shot up and protested. "Hey! What makes me a sissy, huh?"

Nanami sniffed before flicking him on the forehead. "Well, you _obviously_ don't want to go because people will talk about your family situation, right? If you care about trivial matters as such, you're a sissy! Case closed." She ended smugly, hands on her hips.

Tomoe's wordless gaping at her explanation was interrupted when Onikiri and Kotetsu walked in.

"Tomoe-sama/Nanami-sama!" They chorused respectively. "Here are some loquats we picked from the backyard!"

"Kyaa!" Nanami immediately exclaimed, beaming."I'll have some!"

She offered a few to Tomoe, but he rudely declined. She frowned.

"Tomoe! Loquats are good for you! If you keep on living like this, mushrooms will start growing out of your he-..."

Nanami trailed off as she looked at the TV. Gleaming sparkles appeared around her as stars shone in her eyes disturbingly.

"What?" Tomoe grumbled, directing his gaze to it as well.

"-and I'm right here, in front of Ujigami High School!" A reporter's voice blared from the speakers. He crawled closer, curiosity piqued.

"After hearing that the popular idol Ami-chan has transferred to this school, a huge crowd of her fans have gathered at the front gate!" The reporter sounded like she was cheering as the camera showed some other students.

"No way, I can't believe Ami-chan is sixteen!"

"I saw her in her seifuku! She's so cute!"

"So moe!"

Tomoe ignored the sounds as he focused on the school. He gulped as he saw it and mumbled, "That's my school..." Before he slumped onto the floor again.

Nanami turned slowly to his prone body, an almost predatory stare in her eyes. She giggled, a slight insane edge to it. Suddenly, she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to his room, ignoring his curses and protests.

"You damn fox, what in the name of bloody hell are you doing?!"

"What does it look like? I'm getting you to school! You need to be educated!" Tomoe blanched.

"Ain't nobody wanna go to school!" Her fingers pinched his earlobe harder. He gagged, clawing at her iron grip.

"SISSY, YOU'RE NOT COMING OUT UNTIL YOU ARE IN UNIFORM, UNDERSTAND?"

And with that, Nanami hurled him into his room before slamming the door shut. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she dusted her hands off and smiled.

Nanami placed a leaf on her head.

* * *

When a disgruntled Tomoe finally emerged from his room, he was clad in his school uniform. Sighing in annoyance, he looked left, right, up, and down, but found no Nanami.

"Fox! Where are you?" He called.

A muffled, "Wait a second!" came through the walls, and moments later, the door to said fox's room opened. What it revealed was quite a sight.

Nanami was dressed in his school's female uniform (she was also missing her ears and tail, but that went unnoticed). Somehow, she actually made it look good. Not like hot, but cute. Real cute. Probably cuter than that idol whatsherface.

She struck a pose and showed the v-sign, winking at him. Tomoe literally worked to keep his jaw from falling off.

 _She should be a model..._

 _But then other people - guys - will see her...that won't work at all..._

"Alright! Let's go, Tomoe!" She ushered him out of the shrine.

"Hey, why are you coming with me, anyway?" He exclaimed, frowning at her.

"Well, obviously, I want to meet _the_ Nekota Ami-chan! And I want to see your school, as well. I've got to make sure that my god has a good learning environment!"

Tomoe wanted to protest. What would his classmates think if he went missing from school for almost - what, three months? - before bringing a new girl in? Hell to the no. Well, at least he could just deny any affiliation to her. He couldn't make her change her mind either, without resorting to _that_ , he knew. Huh. Sad.

Nanami dragged him almost to the front gate, where he _ordered_ her to stay and come in after five minutes. After they were both in, Nanami quickly went to enrol - some sort of illusion magic, he didn't ask - before meeting him outside the classroom.

"Are you ready? I'm ready! This is my first time at school, Tomoe! I'm so excited! Heehee..." Nanami giggled as they entered the room full of chattering students. As soon as Tomoe's white hair was visible, though, the room quieted almost completely, making for an extremely awkward atmosphere as Nanami and Tomoe made their way to their seats.

Tomoe looked around disinterestedly, pretending nothing was wrong. Nanami, however, was immediately surrounded by a gaggle of girls that crowded around her desk.

"Hey, are you new here? Welcome!"

"You're really pretty, it looks natural. It is, right?!"

"I'm Reika! Let's be friends!"

All in all, Nanami had a group of girls fawning over her beauty. She smiled and chattered, not used to the attention but soaking it up immediately. To Tomoe, it was slightly sickening to watch. She was a familiar, dammit! Why was she at a school, and -

"Oi! Tomoe! Where the hell have you been?"

Said god froze instantly, eyes scanning the room, before turning around. Sweat dripped down his neck.

"...Yo, Kurama."

The boy rolled his dark eyes, striding closer. Both of their fanclubs hovered on the walls in the background. "Don't give me that, Tomoe. Seriously, answer the question." Tomoe involuntarily turned away from him to look at Nanami, resting his face on his hand. "Nothing. Just busy with some stuff."

Kurama turned his gaze to where his friend's was. A slightly dark smile crept onto his face. "Hey, Tomoe, is-"

Tomoe jerked like he'd been slapped, before pulling his stupid best friend down by the collar and slamming his hand onto his mouth. "No!" He hissed, eyes glowing violently.

A tense moment passed before the redhead shrugged and Tomoe released him. Kurama immediately began sniggering as soon as he was out of reach, his shoulders shaking with mirth. Tomoe groaned and dropped his head into his arms. "I'll explain later. Cut it out, Kurama."

"Pfft...hell no. To think that you of all guys...haha..." Tears were being squeezed out of the dark-haired boy's eyes, and Tomoe had to restrain himself from physically hurting him.

Suddenly, the classroom door slammed open, smoke pouring through it. A shadow stood on the threshold, and the guys stared while the girls fawned. The shadow turned out to be a petite girl with brown hair and dark, shadowy angel wings on her back. She strolled into the room cold and imposing, every eye on her, before -

"Hi! My name is Nekota Ami. Please take care of me!" She bowed deeply and when her head popped back up, her eyes gleamed and sparkles radiated from her figure. Boys drooled over her cuteness. For Tomoe and Kurama, it was such a drastic difference between personality and appearance that they were stunned for a few seconds.

"The-there must be something wrong with her. What the hell? I can't even -" Kurama turned away, disoriented, and slumped into his seat, trying to lean away from the sparkles without falling from his chair.

Tomoe watched as Ami was beckoned towards Nanami and the fox shooed off the other girls. They exchanged words, and he saw that Nanami's narrowed eyes held a tinge of annoyance. There was also a faint blue aura surrounding her, and Tomoe wondered if he should intervene. He decided not to. If he did, Nanami would probably get pissed at him for fighting her battles. Definitely, if truth be told.

* * *

As soon as Ami entered the room, Nanami knew she was facing a tengu. Which was bad, since she hadn't thought to cover Tomoe's land god mark and the girl would definitely sense it. Whoops, Nanami sweatdropped to herself. Hopefully, she wasn't a bad one, and could recognise that Nanami wasn't about to hunt her - unless she attempted to hurt Tomoe, that is. Any mercy after that would be out of the question.

Nanami's hunch was realised when Ami tilted her head slightly in Tomoe's direction, as if about to turn, when the familiar quickly beckoned the tengu towards her. She smiled welcomingly.

"Ohayo, Ami-san! I'm Mi-uh, Momozono Nanami." She was about to say Mikage, but hey! Momozono sounded cooler.

Ami grinned back at her, black wings folding behind her back.

"You can call me Ami-chan, Nanami-chan! It's nice to meet you!"

The fox familiar's eye twitched a little in annoyance. How could this crow not realise who she was? Could she not sense her repressed power? Really, what did they teach the tengu these days?

"Uh...Nanami-chan? Was there any other reason you wanted to talk to me?" Ami asked timidly, head tilted cutely.

Twitch.

"No, sorry about that...Ami-chan." The girl turned away.

 _Kamisama, I haven't called a human with that honorific in a long time. Feels as weird as hell._

Nanami shook her head. At least it was actually a good thing that Ami didn't realise what she was. She sighed, smiling softly. It was also - she mentally squealed, excited again - her first day of school. Beat that!

Could this day get any better?

Well, maybe, maybe not.


	9. Of Penguins and Advisors

**Don't own.** **Wish I did.**

 **Sorry for the short chapter...**

* * *

The first day of school was pleasant, yet uneventful. The next day was too. In fact, a whole week passed without anything of notice, until one day, fate decided to cut to the chase.

It was lunchtime. Bento was prepared, and Tomoe quietly ate on the roof while Nanami stood behind him. She inhaled, a breeze gently spreading her hair around her face. The fox familiar was enjoying her first taste of school, even if it was drama-filled with fairly petty things. The days had been ordinary in her book, anyway. Ami was...eccentric, for lack of a better word, but she hadn't attempted anything.

Well, that was obviously going to change.

The door to the roof suddenly slammed open, and Ami was dragged onto said roof by a girl. The idol's expression was twisted into one of pain and surprise as she attempted to resist the stronger girl. This 'girl' (Nanami was immediately sure that she was a tengu) had long black hair and dark eyes, with a posture of unwavering fearlessness and slight arrogance.

Nanami sighed, about to undo her schoolgirl transformation. However, before she did, Ami began screeching and sobbing slightly over-dramatically, clutching at her friend.

"B-but Kayako-chan! I don't wanna hurt anyone! Kayako-!"

"Can it, Ami. There is a land god right in front of you, dimwit."

Tomoe discreetly slid closer to his familiar as Ami began sobbing again, wailing about not hurting anyone. Meanwhile, Nanami clenched her teeth in annoyance, waiting for any sign of movement from the Kayako girl. Ami was - most likely - not a huge threat, but Kayako's aura said the opposite of herself. She definitely wouldn't even be able to compare to the foxes power, but Nanami wouldn't take any chances.

"Oi, Nanami..." Tomoe muttered, trailing off as he glanced at the pair. He rose slightly, stumbling when Nanami pulled him to stand behind her. She started whispering quick instructions into his ear.

"When I say so, _you will get off this roof._ " The white-haired teen looked like he was about to protest, but the vixen gripped his wrist tightly, her claws leaving the faintest of imprints. Nanami snarled slightly, willing him to understand the severity of the situation. If any of the tengu got their grimy hands on his heart, she was screwed as they would become the land god. She shuddered at the thought of Kayako ordering her around. Tomoe gulped and nodded slowly. She blew out a breath, satisfied.

"Who are you?" Nanami rudely interrupted the bickering of the two. They turned to her, Ami with a pleading expression. Kayako scowled, contempt written all over her features.

"Hiiragi Kayako, chief advisor of Nekota Ami. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking your little land god's heart for her!" The dark haired girl declared arrogantly. Lush black wings suddenly sprouted from her back in a flurry of dark feathers, reaching up in the air. Nanami raised an eyebrow at her, but the tengu then suddenly lunged at Tomoe, the movement streamlined by her extra limbs. She knocked away Ami who had attempted to stand in front of her. The petite girl slammed into the fence and groaned, wilting down.

Kayako was almost at arms length before Nanami pushed her master away with a whispered, "Go". He nodded slightly and quickly jogged to the door that led off to the roof. The fox took a deep breath, undoing her transformation. In a flash, she was dressed in her familiar violet kimono again, with her ears and tail as well.

Nanami only had a split second to catch Kayako's arm as she tried to follow Tomoe. Forcing her to the ground, flames seared around her and leaves whipped in the air. Kayako looked up, disorientated as she made out Nanami's new appearance.

"Wha- familiar?" Nanami grinned at her predicament, before delicately plucking one of the wisps of nature out of the air. Kayako shrank back but tried to put on a brave face whilst she scrabbled for an escape. However, the vixen's grip was unrelenting as she forced the leaf onto the tengu's forehead like some childish sticker.

With an inhuman screech and a puff of smoke, what was left of Kayako was...

...a penguin.

Nanami began howling with laughter, doubling over as the cute penguin waddled around and squawked in a most undignified manner. Ami - who was still crumpled on the fence - let out a horrified gasp and attempted to run over and shield the poor bird from harm, believing that Nanami was going to do more.

Cradling Kayako in her arms, the idol glared at the fox heatedly. Nanami raised her hands as a sign of surrender. "Calm down. I won't hurt her, as long as you guys don't try and eat Tomoe's heart, alright?" Ami nodded, before her lip started trembling. Suddenly she burst into tears, sniffling as she buried her head in the penguin's feathers. Kayako squawked indignantly.

"I-I'm sorry... _hic_...I didn't mean for it to end up like this...I really don't want to - _hic_ \- hurt anyone...s-so, can we p-please start over?" The girl extended a shaking hand nervously. Nanami immediately snatched it up with a warm smile and shook it enthusiastically, saying, "That's fine, Ami-chan. As long as you keep your friend on a tight leash." At this, Kayako attempted to leap up and bite Nanami's hand, but the fox slapped her away without even looking.

"T-Thank you. A-And also, can you please turn Kayako-chan back to normal?" Nanami shook her head seemingly regretfully. "It'll wear off sometime soon...I think."

"Oh, alright. I'll see you later then!"

"Bye, Ami-chan!"

* * *

OMAKE

"Ne, Kayako-chan, how long has it been now?"

"SQARK!"

"A week, huh..."

"SQARK ARK AR - ACK!"

The chair fell over as a very human, very naked but _human_ behind landed on it.

"Wah! Kayako-chan!"

"...I'm gonna kill that damned fox."


End file.
